Problem: $ B = \left[\begin{array}{rr}4 & -1 \\ 1 & 4\end{array}\right]$ $ A = \left[\begin{array}{rr}5 & 3 \\ -2 & 0\end{array}\right]$ What is $ B A$ ?
Answer: Because $ B$ has dimensions $(2\times2)$ and $ A$ has dimensions $(2\times2)$ , the answer matrix will have dimensions $(2\times2)$ $ B A = \left[\begin{array}{rr}{4} & {-1} \\ {1} & {4}\end{array}\right] \left[\begin{array}{rr}{5} & \color{#DF0030}{3} \\ {-2} & \color{#DF0030}{0}\end{array}\right] = \left[\begin{array}{rr}? & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ To find the element at any row $i$ , column $j$ of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in row $i$ of the first matrix, $ B$ , with the corresponding elements in column $j$ of the second matrix, $ A$ , and add the products together. So, to find the element at row 1, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the first element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ B$ with the first element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ A$ , then multiply the second element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ B$ with the second element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ A$ , and so on. Add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{4}\cdot{5}+{-1}\cdot{-2} & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 2, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }2}$ of $ B$ with the corresponding elements in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ A$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{4}\cdot{5}+{-1}\cdot{-2} & ? \\ {1}\cdot{5}+{4}\cdot{-2} & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 1, column 2 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ B$ with the corresponding elements in $\color{#DF0030}{\text{column }2}$ of $ A$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{4}\cdot{5}+{-1}\cdot{-2} & {4}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{3}+{-1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{0} \\ {1}\cdot{5}+{4}\cdot{-2} & ?\end{array}\right] $ Fill out the rest: $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{4}\cdot{5}+{-1}\cdot{-2} & {4}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{3}+{-1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{0} \\ {1}\cdot{5}+{4}\cdot{-2} & {1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{3}+{4}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{0}\end{array}\right] $ After simplifying, we end up with: $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}22 & 12 \\ -3 & 3\end{array}\right] $